Social protection in Asia and the Pacific Gabriele Koehler Development economist Visiting Fellow, Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, IDS Sussex.

Social protection in Asia and the Pacific

Gabriele KoehlerDevelopment economist

Visiting Fellow, Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, IDS Sussex

EC Social Protection Training Course Asia and Pacific Region

Bangkok 12-15 June 2012

Session 1 Day 2

Overview of session:

I. Introduction: the “quiet revolution” – snapshot from the global South

II. The Asian-Pacific big pictureIII. Social protection schemes and instruments:

interactive discussionIV. Summarising & outlook – quick quiz on

“good” social protection

I. The “quiet revolution”• Social protection gaining massive support in

multilateral fora, in regional agreements, in countries, and in North-South and South-South development cooperation

• Numerous, and many large schemes in place across the globe

• Regional specifics• Asia with some of the largest and most

innovative schemes globally

Social protection reforms in middle- and low-income countries across the globe

• Asignacion Universal por Hijo para Proteccion Social in Argentina

• Bolsa Familia (and the new Brasil Sem Miseria) programme) in Brazil

• Productive Safety Nets in Ethiopia • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee in India • Di bao reforms in China • Progresa and Oportunidades in Mexico.

Regional typologies of SP• Latin America

– addressing hunger and poverty, “human development oriented”, conditional cash transfers

• Africa – poverty and asset building, predominantly unconditional transfers

• South Asia – hunger, poverty, social exclusion, mixture of conditional and

unconditional, employment schemes as a frequent format

• East Asia and Pacific – addressing risk, mixed conditional and unconditional cash transfers,

CCTs in Indonesia or Philippines; pensions in East Asia; universal health systems in China, Philippines, Thailand

• Central Asia- emphasis on cash transfers to address transition poverty

Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America

Argentina Programa Familias

Bolivia Beca Futuro

Brazil Bolsa Familia, Bolsa Escola

Chile Chile Solidario

Colombia Familias en Accion Program

Costa Rica Programa Superemonos

Ecuador Bono de Desarrollo Humano

El Salvador Red Solidaria

Honduras Programa de Asignacion Familiar

Mexico Progresa, Oportunidades

Nicaragua Red de Proteccion Social

Unconditional Cash Transfers in sub-Saharan Africa

Food-related measures

Social Assistance

Public works

Affirma-tive action

Human rights

•Cooked school meals (IND)•Subsidized PDS (IND, NPL, BGD)•Subsidized grain prices

•Universal old age pension (NPL)•Benazir Income Support Program (PAK)•Child benefit (NPL)•Unorganized sector health insurance (IND)

•National Rural Employment Guarantee (IND)•Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest (BGD)•Karnali Programme; Employment Guarantee Act (NPL)•Employment generation for rural unskilled workers (PAK)

•Secondary school stipend for girls (BGD)• Education for all (NPL)•Child grants for girls (IND)•Rural development and community based interventions (IND)

•Right to food/National Food Security Act (IND)•Mid-day meal (IND)•Right to education (all)•Right to health services (all)•Right to work (IND)•Right to information (IND, BGD, NPL)

Social protection:South Asia

Social protection:South Asia

II. An Asian-Pacific snapshot – challenges

& selected country examples

Unequal progress in sub-regions

The Asia-Pacific share of the world’s deprived

Source: Asia-Pacific Regional MDG report 2011/12 (ESCAP/ADB/UNDP)

Social protection coverage

Cambodia

ChinaMinimum Living Subsidy Scheme (DiBao)

since 1997Description•The scheme pays the difference between the monthly income of poor households and an income minimum

Objectives•To assist poor households in urban China•to provide five guarantees for the elderly in the areas of housing, food, clothing, medical care, and burial expenses•transfers to childless and elderly people.

Monthly transfers•102 Yuan for poor urban households•37 Yuan for poor rural households

Target population and coverageThe “3 NOs”, no ability to work, no source of income, and no supporting from family members. In 2007 : 22.7 million poor urban households 34.5 million poor rural households2020 target:1.3 billion citizens.

IndiaNational Rural Employment Guarantee

Scheme

IndonesiaObjective:• JAMKESMAS scheme: Access to health care to the poor and near poor

(76.4 million people)• Universal health insurance coverage by 2014Components:• Subsidized rice to targeted households (“rice for the poor” )• Scholarships for students from poor families• JAMSOSTEK: pilot for informal economy workersInstruments:• Unconditional Cash Transfers (2005 and 2008) • Conditional cash transfer program (Program Keluarga Harapan) and

Community Empowerment programme (PNPM).

Kazakhstan Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) scheme

(2002) Objective: • All families to receive the subsistence minimum, fixed by each region

Audience: • Families with children, the unemployed, care providers for children and the working poor

Format• monthly cash transfer

Early assessment:• certain problems defining eligibilities• serving its fundamental purpose of providing basic assistance for the poor• satisfactory number of family units were graduating from the scheme

PakistanBenazir Income Support Programme

(BISP) (2008)• Largest direct cash grant scheme in Pakistan’s history• 3.5 million economically distressed persons affected by poverty

and inflation • Cash transfers of $13 per month, disbursed every two months • Women as transfer recipient in each household• Poverty score card methodology (2010) • National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) • Partnership with private sector commercial banks• From $154 million = 0.4 per cent of total government spending

(2007/8) to $474 million = 1.3 per cent (2009/2010)

Solomon Islands Rapid Employment Project

2010Audience:• the urban poor especially youth, in the capital Objectives:• generate income • life-skill development training: life skills workshops dealing with domestic violence, money

management and health awareness • longer term employment prospects• enhanced infrastructure and services, esp in informal settlements Planned outcome:• estimated 500,000 labour days of work over the five years of the project • road repair, maintenance, construction and garbage collection

ADB Social protection index

• Social protection expenditure—• The total number of beneficiaries of social

protection programs— “coverage” • The number of poor beneficiaries of social

protection programs— “distribution”• Social protection expenditure going to the

poor— “impact”• Average for Asia: 0.36

III. Social protection

schemes and instruments: interactive group

discussion

Some guiding questions: • What is the challenge?• What is the vision?• What type of intervention is in place?• How does it work?• What is the coverage?• What is the cost?• What are obstacles to this intervention?• How could it be moved towards universalising or

systematising social protection?• What is missing?

Social protection by challenge

Situation Intervention Country examples

Emergency and Crisis Situations

Human Development Constraints – poverty, access to social services

Seasonal Unemployment and FoodInsecurity

Health Shocks

Vulnerable Groups

Social protection by types• Income oriented cash transfers (family benefits, social

pensions, etc.); • food insecurity-oriented (food and cash; school meals);• human development oriented (education, health grants,

health insurance); • social inclusion oriented (scholarships, girl child grants); • Employment and asset-oriented (public works

programmes, microcredit); • emergency related (food for work, food subsidies); • refugee/displaced person-conflict related

Social protection by type

SPF objectives

Existing SP provision

Planned SP provisions (strategy)

Gaps RecommendationsDesign

gapsImplemen-

tation issues

Health

Children

Working age

Elderly

Social Protection Floor template: guarantees and objectives

The Social Protection Situation

Design gaps and implementation

issues (to complete the SPF)

Priority policy options to be

decided through national dialogue

Country level: a phased approachStep 2 –Assessment of social protection

Country discussionCountry Inter-

ventionChallenge add-ressed

Objective

Indicators of progress/success

Coverage/cost/index

Obstacles

Shortcomings

Role for EC Del

Bangladesh

Cambodia

China

India

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Nepal

Philippines

Sri Lanka

Tajikistan

Thailand

Vietnam

GROUP WORK: SOCIAL PROTECTION

COUNTRY PROGRAMMES• Present 1-2 country´s programme

within the group• Distill main characteristics for

both• Prepare 5-minute summary for

plenary

Country discussionCountry Interven

tionChallenge addressed

Objective Indicators of progress/success

Coverage/cost/index

Obstacle Short-comings

Role for EC Del

Social pension

Old age poverty

Coverage of all >70

Take up rate yr 2 …

0.5% GDP

Min of Child Welfare

Bias to well-off

Bangla-desh

Cambodia

China

India

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Nepal

Philippines

Sri Lanka

Tajikistan

Thailand

Vietnam

India: RSBY, NREGA

Thailand: UC scheme, minimum pension scheme (500 THB)

Cambodia: NSPS with clear reference to the SPF … including HEFs, CBHIs, Food distribution, PWPs,…

Lao: extension of SHP for all

Vietnam: 10 years Social security strategy

Indonesia: Jamkesmas, Jampersal, PKH, Rice for the poor, PNPM

China: minimum living standard guarantee program; new rural corporative medical care (NRCMC); health insurance for urban uninsured residents (HIUR); rural old-age pension

Philippines: universal health reform

Pathways to “Four SPF guarantees”

Nepal: broad range

Bangladesh: Strategy…

Sri Lanka: …

Tajikistan :…

IV. Summarising & outlook

India: RSBY, NREGA

Thailand: UC scheme, minimum pension scheme (500 THB)

Cambodia: NSPS with clear reference to the SPF … including HEFs, CBHIs, Food distribution, PWPs,…

Lao: extension of SHP for all

Vietnam: 10 years Social security strategy

Indonesia: Jamkesmas, Jampersal, PKH, Rice for the poor, PNPM

China: minimum living standard guarantee program; new rural corporative medical care (NRCMC); health insurance for urban uninsured residents (HIUR); rural old-age pension

Philippines: universal health reform

Pathways to social protection

Nepal: broad range

Bangladesh: Strategy…

Sri Lanka: …

Tajikistan :…

Country discussionCountry Inter-

ventionChallenges add-ressed

Objective

Indicators of progress/success

Coverage/cost/index

Obstacles

Shortcomings

Role for EC Del

Bangladesh

Rural empoyment/income generation. Scale up

32% BPL;Employment; gender

Cash for work env .Assets accumulated p family

Women have sustain income

2.5%ofGDP ownership

Y

China Reform of SP system 5 social insurances & social assistance

Rural/urban.Urbanisation;ageing;Social stab; social justice

Universal soc sec system. Univ coverage. Mult levels. sustain

Expand rural pension 100%Urban pension increase vuln groups; combining pension funds/systems/modes. Investment of fund. Legal framework.97% med insurance

100 billRMB soc ass.…RMB investment in schemes1.7 trill RMB

Central/prov/local govt

Lack of policy framework; dispariites rur/urban – regions – occupations. Low benefits/reimbursement ;Med ins. Multiple counting;Govt only.Supply lim.Managing funds

Y

India NREGA Rural pop / maj of poor: unemployment; mig; low wage; prod

Push rural growth; local empl;Min wage; guaranteed leg instrument

IS; Wage rate increase100 days work/persondays; IS improved;Social audit

Lack of awareness/demand/local level cap. Fiscal budget/50% implementation

N

Indonesia

Nat prog for comm empowerment

Rural & urban disadbatged. ISAccelrate pov allevaiton liveilhood & participaiton

Nationwide. 65000 villages: large pop 72 mill poor

50000 Local mentors needed. Instit cap. Disparities large/marg comm’s/gender

Reduce pov 8/10%Access to servicesIncrease part of poor. Local Cap bldg

Faciliation.Attrition of good staff.Work overload.Cultural. Coord difficult..MIS sustainability.Reg disparities

Y

Nepal Many schemes

Pov. ConflictEnvSELowest HDI

Gap between commitment/impl

NationalCoverage3.5% GDP variesApproach needs to varyPc.benefits low

Weak gov.Suppy side weak.Confusion o entitlement:

Prod assets missing

Y

Tajikistan

Poor qual of services;low pension/unemploymenty

Pc income 1000$Vulnerabitlies n.a.Tangible results

Part of Sov Union collapse.rethink role of state

Poor targeting/improving

Resources lacking

y

Thailand

Vietnam

Cash transfers to poor families w school children

From pov red for spec groups to universal. Large programme.Compensate for user feesSocial cohesion

Qual of servic es. Health insurance 60% cov.Formal insured; not informal

Coevrage & distribution of benefits; edu outcomes. Graduaiton

Social insurance for informal sectorHouesehold based

cap

Poverty line issue. Fiscal space. Sustain. dependency

Non conditional

Y

QUICK QUIZWHAT IS “GOOD” SOCIAL PROTECTION?

……

QUICK QUIZWHAT IS “GOOD SOCIAL PROTECTION”?

Rights based - Universal right/universal coverage Citizenship- or residents-based

Accompanied by supply side measuresAccompanied by decent work policy & action

Addresses crises, chronic poverty, vulnerabilities Well-targeted and publicised entitlements for socially excluded groups

Special effort to reach disadvantaged households/communities

Systemic – uniting fragmented systems

Sustainable, predictable, meaningful benefit levels Affordable and long-term sustainable

Tax financed

Empowerment: space to civil society and public action

ManageableAdvanced IT

Monitoring & evaluation systems

Reading & resource list

Armando Barrientos, Miguel Nino-Zarazua and Mathilde Maitrot 2010. Social Assistance in Developing Countries Database. Brooks World Poverty Institute. University of Manchester . Version 5.0 July 2010 . http://www.bwpi.manchester.ac.uk/resources/social-assistance-database-version-5.pdf

Sri Wening Handayani, 2010.Enhancing Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific. The Proceedings of the Regional Workshop. Asian Development Bank. Manila.. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2011/proceedings-enhancing-social-protection.pdf.

Gabriele Koehler, 2011. „Transformative Social Protection: Reflections on Policy Experiences in Four South Asian Countries‟, IDS Bulletin 42.5. www.ids.ac.uk

Gabriele Koehler, Marta Calì, Mariana Stirbu 2009. Social protection in South Asia. A review. UNICEF Regional Office South Asia. http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/social_protection_in_south_asia_-_a_review_-_unicef_rosa_2009.pdf

ILO. Global Extension of Social Security. GESS data base. http://www.social-protection.org/gimi/gess/ShowMainPage.do

Reading & resource list

Social protection in Asia Research group 2010. Social protection in Asia: research findings and policy lessons . Programme synthesis reporthttp://www.socialprotectionasia.org/Conf-prgram-pdf/SPA_SynthReport_web.pdf

UN Development Group Asia-Pacific 2011. Social Protection Issues Brief. Prepared by UNDP Thematic Group on Social Protection. Annex. http://www.social-protection.org/gimi/gess/RessShowRessource.do?ressourceId=26321

UNDP 2011 Ensuring Inclusion: e-Discussion on Social Protection . Asia-Pacific Inclusive Growth and Development. Summary of e-Discussion. UNDP Asia and Pacific Regional Centre BANGKOK. http://www.gabrielekoehler.net/Data/Sites/1/UNDP%20Asia%20Pacific%20SP%20eDiscussion-Final-160112-1.pdf

UN ESCAP 2011. The Promise of Protection Social Protection and development in Asia and the Pacific. http://www.unescap.org/sdd/publications/social-protection/UN-Promise-of-Protection.pdf

World Bank 2012. RESILIENCE, EQUITY, AND OPPORTUNITY. The World Bank’s Social Protection and Labor Strategy 2012–2022 . Washington April 2012. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/280558-1274453001167/7089867-1279223745454/7253917-1291314603217/SPL_Strategy_2012-22_FINAL.pdf